Prologue to An Innocent Traitor
by somesortofdeliciousbiscu1t
Summary: So how did Luigi react to being the Man in Green? And what became of him after the closing of the Void?
1. Leap of Faith

Notes: This is set in the aftermath of SPM as told by Yelinna in her SPM comic The Ultimate Show. If you hadn't read it read it! But make sure you have plenty of time.

This is a prelude to Innocent Traitor

I look towards the hill past the tree which Dimentio pointed out to me. I realise now I have no real choice; a life in stasis here until my soul ages and dies if it does not die with my body that is, or to trust them.

The familiar feeling of fear and anxiety makes my insides form the iron walnut in my stomach, which has been sitting there for what seems like weeks. It even felt strange when it wasn't there, like when I awoke under that tree.

I don't know what to think. What would they gain by lying to me? But what would they gain by telling me the truth. Is my absolution that important? But when I saw Dimentio's eyes I saw a young boy who has enough knowledge and far too much ignorance, someone fearful of me, both of what he had done and of what I could do. I didn't have it in me to punch the youth in the face - too much like high school when too many times I was the youth on the recieving end of it.

Blumiere! Does this life-in-death pass for happiness? Was it really worth corrupting Dimentio and damn near destroying my life not to mention all the worlds! But I have to let it go now although it nags at me that even now Dimentio managed to use me as a tool for vengence against Blumiere! A taste of the pain and helplessness was enough and it is now done. I have lost my taste for vengence. I have no wish to carry on this sad tale of twisted grief and a lust for power.

And of Luvbi. I understand now. After all who isn't a jerk when they are a teenager but with Luvbi her entire existence was false. Her parents had lied to her but it was for the best of intentions. It seems that pure hearts are alive in that if you talk to them and play with them they respond - they can sense their surroundings and with a body, interact with them. So she became the adopted daughter of the Queen of Hell and the Lord of Olympus. I will never forget the look on Grambi's face for as long as I still live when Luvbi returned to her true form. I can understand her rudeness as she was also used even if by accident.

I walk up the hill, resisting the urge to look back. I know they are watching though, I do not need to look. The sun feels warm, its golden light slanting as the afternoon fades into evening. I can see the grass heads moving in the breeze and they feel real to the touch, lit by the golden sunlight

Then I come to a stop. The hill has no back just a sheer cliff. This is where they all said I should jump if I am ever to see my loved ones again. I look down and a wave of vertigo comes over me as the cliff is so tall the bottom is hidden by mist. But vertigo for me is not a fear of falling, more a compulsion as if the body forgets about consequences. But right now my body is not here, so I have nothing to lose in this place.

For once I keep my eyes open as I step out into the void with one foot and kick off with the other. For an instant I hang motionless but then I feel acceleration and the breeze start to pluck at my clothes and hair. The iron walnut melts away and I feel free. The view gets darker the further I descend and I feel I am turning from feet- to head-first. A final glimpse of the rapidly dwindling circle of light then blackness.

A timeless space then a sudden jolt and then peace, as if one has accomplished a difficult landing.

The sound of birds through an open window - bit early for swifts? Smells of cooking, cut flowers and pine needles. A feeling of weight in one's limbs. Left leg, right leg, then arms. A growing discomfort and a dull ache in them, particularly the arms. A feeling of gravity, of mass. Try to move them, they are heavy and they hurt.

A line of heart-stopping brilliance shocking to the core. Shut eyes then try again. Now can see shafts of morning sunlight with the shadows of trees on the walls. The lightshade on the ceiling, pale yellow like a flower shimmering in the brilliance of the sun. The sight of sunlit trees in leaf in the window against a blue sky with small clouds moving in the wind. The colours pulse and dance as if I have never seen them before.

A surge of anticipation (or anxiety?) grows within - could this be real? Nothing in that strange place where Blumiere and Tippi now exist was as vivid as this. I don't remember it hurting so much. I try lifting one arm - I feel resistance but I feel no strength in my movement.

Someone by my bed on the other side of the room who looks like he is drifting off to sleep. It comes to me who this is and who I am. Red shirt, red hat, curly dark moustache and bulbous nose - face is a bit thinner than when I last saw it.

Has he seen me yet? Must get his attention! This is real and not a dream, a dream could not be so intense - the light and colours overwhelm me and I close my eyes.

My Brother! I must tell him! My lips are heavy as is my tongue. I look straight at him-

"Mario?"

But it is no more than a croak.

He sits bolt upright and his eyes flick open. He doesn't say anything but I see tears in his eyes and he reaches over and embraces me. I feel his sobs and everything comes to the surface and I join him in weeping. I find the strength in my arms to embrace him.

Eventually he says something

"Weege"

his special name for me that no-one else knows.

I do not know how long for he holds me. I hear the door go a couple of times but no-one else comes in. I feel tired and note that it is dark outside the window then drift off to a sleep with no need for dreams.

I wake a little later and find he is still with me - he's taken off his footwear and is lying on the bed and holding me - face to face, knee to knee with our arms around each other's shoulders. I don't think we did that since we were little boys after something bad had happened. I smile and drift back off to sleep. Perhaps it will be alright and this is real, not a dream.


	2. Routine

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly you get into a routine. Right now I am making up shaving foam and testing how sharp my brother's cut-throat razor is, as I have been doing every morning for the past four weeks.

Four weeks is the time it has been since the Void has been closed but that does not mean the aftermath is over. Princess Peach has only recently taken over command of the Mushroom Kingdom from Regent Toadsworth, who is still working in bring back some stability to the Kingdom. The sudden appearance and growth of the Void caused widespread civil unrest and a spike in crime associated with the sudden appearance of doomsday cults, some of which say the Void will purge all sinners, others claiming credit for stopping it.

If only they knew that the pivotal figure who did stop the Void is someone who once won a drama award by having the only non-speaking part as a patch of grass, since the quality of the other acts was so dire! I smile at that thought. After all the Super Luigi Chronicals were an overnight success, much to Luigi's embarrassment.

Normality is only beginning to return which meant as soon as Princess Peach was signed off as medically fit, she had to attend to matters of state with Toadsworth.

This leaves myself and Dr Toadsworth's intern, Dr Toadia to tend to my brother following the closing of the void Dr Toadsworth visit was a shock to me as it turned out he was none other than Regent Toadsworth's brother and they did look similar.

Four weeks he has been in a coma. That is not to say that nothing has happened during this time. From the first day when we had to demur from the banquet in Flipside in our honour, so that he could have the medical attention he so desperately needed I have established a routine to show him that if he can hear us that we are here and are listening, waiting for him. Dr Toadia will be around at 9.30 as she knows until then I spend time with my brother undisturbed.

It is a dull day like the rest this week but I pull the curtains open and let some fresh air through the window, which smells of wet earth, and mixes with the smell of cut flowers and disinfectant in the bedroom.

"Good morning bro, this is a good day to stay in bed, it is cold and dull outside but at least it is raining, which is about 10 times more interesting than what it was doing yesterday. I've got some new shaving foam which hopefully won't be as bitey as the old stuff as tested on me"

I lay out the shaving tools on a towel on his bedside table and put a hot flannel on his face below his nose.

" Bro, when you get up and see yourself in the mirror it won't be all bad, you have a chin and cheekbones for the first time in your life. I've been taking good care of your 'tasche. Remember when you were at Technical College playing with facial hair and you had that goatee with the pointy side burns - they used to call you Bob Geldof from the front!"

I remove the flannel and start soaping up his chin and cheeks.

"It wasn't a good look when you tried to grow your hair out at the same time. You stopped when you kept getting called Miss from behind!"

I say these things as they help to keep me focused on the next part, checking the razor while the foam softens the bluish way of stubble on his chin. He could get away with just shaving every other day if he felt like it but he is fastidious in personal hygiene - never skips a day. Makes me wonder why he became a plumber, but he always just got on with it until the job is done.

I stop as I realise I have started referring to him in the past tense. This isn't helping. Must focus on the task in hand. It would not be good to have an unsteady hand right now.

Carefully I start to scrape at the foam and skin. Just the right angle and pressure - too little and you just get the foam off, too much and you take off too much skin and you are left with a chaffey rash or a bloody mess. The cheeks are done in a couple of sweeps - clean smooth skin without a trace of beard. Then the chin and neck - careful as the skin there is thinner and you really know about shaving rash there. Then back to the right cheek. Warm water and a flannel and a chin as smooth as a baby's. Then a little coconut oil as as I use on the freshly shaved skin - omitting the aftershave - to stop the skin from drying out.

I then move on to his moustache - this is a fiddly job as he, like me trims a few mm from the top lip for hygeine reasons.

" I remember when you finally started your moustache. The first one was rubbish - you were right, there had been better 'taches on pieces of cheese. Then your nickname was Freddy as in Freddy Mercury - you rather liked that one!"

I get the moustache clippers out for this - I tried it with a razor once and once was enough. The moustache was fine but my top lip not so. I was impressed at how much it could bleed. I comb his moustache with my fingers - not that I really have too as its not like he has been eating a great deal lately, removing stray hairs and keeping it neat. Sometimes at this point I hesitate. I wonder how he will look with his hat on if it will cover the bandages but I stop short of putting it on. It would not be right as he is a man and not a doll.

But time goes on and he moves further away. Sometimes when sitting with him he twitches and jerks - Dr Toadia says they are myoclonic jerks and usually happen when getting off to sleep and are perfectly normal - a sign that he has sleeping and waking cycles. The most disturbing times are when his eyes flicker open and stare blankly - I have no idea if it is him or something else is in there. It's then I wonder if I am shaving his face for his sake or mine or whether my inane banter is to keep me sane as much as to help him. Then I kiss the top of his forehead below the bandages.

I check the time - Dr Toadia is not here until 9.30. I have a bit more time until she and the team of carers come to do their morning routine. It is then I feel some release from holding it together as I put my arms around him hold him and weep silently in the hope that whoever is there is still my brother and that he can find his way back. It's at time like this I am glad the Peach cannot visit - I do not want her to see me like this. Although at times like this I wonder if it takes more courage to show your emotions all the time than to wear a mask. Masks are fragile after all.

The damp flannel has its use as I wipe my face. Time is 9.25, enough time to collect my tools and proceed with the veneer of normality which is my routine now.


	3. A Surprise Visitor

It has been a week since Luigi had awoken from the coma, which according to Mario had been since the final battle to close the Void. His memory was hazy except for flashbacks, which were often in such frightening clarity that he thought he was re-living those terrible events leading up until the present.

It is a warm day, spring is still gaining and Luigi was in the garden immediately outside his house. On hearing of his awakening, Dr Toadsworth, thebrother of the esteemed Sir Toadsworth informed him that he had to be on his feet as soon as possible, both to prevent blood clots and to speed recovery if he was to avoid the need for surgery on his legs and arms. This necessitates wearing ugly compression hose from thigh to ankle all the time, which made his legs feel spring loaded and resemble those of a spider. He wore similar ones on his wrists since they were still a mess. Sometimes he gazed at the livid pink scars in wonder at how they came about and how they still hurt.

They said it had been a month Luigi was out for and it was close - they did not think he would last much longer as he got weaker and prognosis got worse the longer he was out for.  
Luigi recalled seeing himself in the mirror and a scarecrow in a gown with his moustache and hat looked out at him. He nearly fainted and was glad to have Mario there, even though he counselled him not to look. Mario looked thinner - he was not free of the trauma either. He had brought Luigi back after all, sat with him, talked to him, shaved his face every day, argued with the doctors to bring him home despite their protests.  
Peace of a sort decends upon him as he sat in the spring sunshine wearing Mario's brothers' gift of a full-length silk dressing gown which he had always coveted and which he brought on the numerous shopping trips under doctor's orders to Mushroom City for medical supplies. It looked a little incongruous with his slippers and hat, neatly covered his shaven and still stubbly crown.  
Luigi swung his legs up on the bench and arranged his blanket and walking stick. The book he had ('Gardening in Difficult Conditions') fell unread as he started to nod off to sleep.  
Footsteps. Despite the fact he was somewhere safe the sounds shakes me out of my reverie and I sit bolt upright. He heard a faintly familiar voice.  
"Mr Mario?"

He looked up - It is King Richard of Sarasland - What is HE doing here?!  
"Mr Mario? Luigi? Mr Mario" he says in a softer tone of voice - he seemed surprised. Luigi looked up at him from the bench, a bit embarresed that his skinny legs were on show.  
"Don't worry, this is just a quiet visit incognito, you are not in trouble"  
Of all the people visiting, this visit gives him as much cause for surprise and alarm as Waluigi's. But that had been when he was still in a coma. Just as well.

Luigi met his gaze. "Good morning your Grace".

"Things have been difficult in Sarasaland since the Void appeared and we are still dealing with the resulting civil disturbance. Daisy has been sent to a place of safety as she was too prominent a target to the fanatics which have grown in number since this crisis started. No doubt Toadsworth in capacity as Regent in absentia and Princess Peach have had similar problems"

He listened, not sure what to think.

"I thought you would be involved somewhere, but it was not until Nastasia put me right did I know exactly what happened"

"So what do you wish to talk about your Grace?"

He looked uncomfortable, took a breath and said "I will be level with you. I don't think we could be friends, and I really don't like men who make my daughter cry"

Luigi stiffened - what is he on about?! Luigi had gained a reputation for sarcasm and had been known to make cutting comments - more so since others don't expect them but NEVER at Daisy!?

"Peach sent an encrypted message to Daisy when you returned. Daisy was distraught when she found out how severely you were injured. She somehow managed to leave her safe haven against my orders to come here and to give you a present - he points at the book under the bench. When she returned she was distraught. She said you were dead or dying."

"It turned out she visited on the day you awoke. She turned up at her time only to see you in your brother's arms. She had made the wrong conclusion and returned to the haven. It was not until Nastasia arrived that she and I were put straight on this"

Luigi blinked. He was finding this difficult to follow. King Richard is not normally a talkative person and he was getting tired out here. The light, wind, colours are still overwhelming at times.

"I will admit that I found you a socially incompetent wierdo with a capacity of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and an ability to seek out and break the only fragile item in the entire room. Quite frankly, considering the eligibility of my daughter, the thought of having you as a son-in-law made me die inside"

A brief flush of rage rose within Luigi, which in turn was tempered by the absurd suggestion that he travelled this far just to insult him.

" Thank you your Grace" Luigi said as neutrally as possible. King Richard went on:  
"But, considering what you have done and been through I can see there is more to you than that. I cannot think of anyone who would tear out a living Floro Sprout from their scalp or was prepared to sacrifice themself for their brother without question. You feel the fear but still you do what must be done"

"Unlike any of the other far more eligible batchelors, you have the ability to make my daughter happy. She says around you she isn't Princess Daisy, just Daisy. Plus she admires you ability to do backflips onto an elevated target as much as your cooking kills, and your ability to take a pounding and still get up."

Luigi felt touched by this - this has to be the closest thing to a compliment King Richard has given him and it is obviously taking its toll.

"One more thing, I haven't much time here and want to get this over and done with. I have brought a gift as is custom."

He pointed to a series of bound volumes titled "The Laws and Ordinances of the Kingdom of Sarasland".Then he took Luigi's right hand in his and says "I, King Richard of Sarasland and Associated Dependancies, formally grant Mr Luigi Gonzales permission to marry my daughter and heir, Daisy Jasmine Sarasland."

Luigi was stunned by this as this was not expected. Indeed it had only been about 6 months ago that he and Daisy admitted they were a couple. It seemed that father and daughter have been talking more than he'd thought. King Richard already has turned to go but then says "Fare thee well, Luigi".

King Richard looks at me and Luigi just about manage to stammer "Th-Thank you your Grace."

And then it happened. Something Luigi had not felt for what felt like months. The hot prickling feeling on his forehead and scalp with the tingling knotty feeling in his chest, both moving and merging at once. His ears felt like they are glowing and he knew that this is it. He was blushing, and for once he liked it.


	4. Chapter 4

Today was day 9 and it hadn't started well. Luigi had been out of the coma long enough to be throughly bored with being a patient. He found Dr Toadsworth, the brother of Peach's long serving retainer, trying his patience with his nagging about being up and walking several times a day and his reminders about taking a flask with him for every trip to the bathroom.

"We need to monitor your fluid balance Luigi."

Dr Toadsworth had said on day 2, much to Luigi's annoyance. He was, however painfully aware that there were few physicians in the Kingdom who had experience with human patients, and fewer that were human.

"The injuries which Dr Toadia recorded on you when you were admitted were consistent with being tied up for hours at a time, lack of food and water and regular beatings."

He went on to say. "The damage to your muscles has flooded your body with poisons which is why we need to keep an eye on your kidneys. You have unusual patterns of healing - looks like you had some medical attention in that the flesh wounds are mostly healed, but it is the damage to your tendons and internal organs which we are most concerned about."

This was the tone for most of his time with Dr Toadsworth. It seemed that each visit he had bad news and soon became a bird of ill omen. It was a relief in a way when he signed over care to Dr Toadia, who had come a long way from being a shy medical student and President of Luigi's fan club, which in its heyday had numbers almost in double figures. Still, she had a decent bedside manner.

Back to today - Daisy is coming to visit alone. Luigi felt he should be pleased but he felt a knot of tension in his chest. It has been 6 weeks and a lifetime since he'd last seen her. She had the bad luck to visit on the day of his awakening and had panicked and not returned until she was sure he was alive and moving.

The constant poking and prodding - how much of it is necessary? This stupid diet - not until next week could he eat real food, its all chicken soup and ice cream for now.

It's hard to muster up much enthusiasm right now. Since following Dr Toadia's advice abut not using teashrooms for sleep as they are addictive, he seldom get through the night without flashbacks. Last night he was back in that awful dark cell, the ropes twisting and burning my wrists and ankles. Turned out it was his arm stockings bunching up that set it off. Mario had spent the rest of the night in bed with him after that.

Earlier, he had awoken to find his brother fixing breakfast. Luigi downed the glass of water by the bedside only to gag on a mouse corpse.

"MARIO what the HELL!?"

"Sorry bro - forgot to move that glass, didn't think you would be awake. I was defrosting mice to feed to Waluigi's present - your pet piranha plant"

"DAMN IT!"

Mario bought in the tray with chicken soup and a luminous yellow vitamin drink. However, there was a slice of chocolate cake on the tray.

"You didn't see me give you this and you are definately not going to eat it bro" he said with a wink. That at least raised a brief smile. Luigi felt bad about shouting at Mario - but he was the nearest and this whole ordeal has been hard on him too.

"You looking foward to seeing Daisy?" Mario enquired.

"Oh yes, its been ages."

Luigi sighed. He was more nervous about seeing her now than when he first officially met her father. The thought of getting married seems as real as flying to Jupiter, since his main achievements right now were dressing unaided, weeding the garden and having a bath without drowning. Dr Toadia does try to point out the progress he had made but it just takes so damn long!

On this thought, he took the first volume of the "Laws and Ordinances of Sarasaland" and turned to page 1.

"Luigi? LUIGI!"

Hrnnnkr?

Damn it! Fallen asleep trying to read - got as far as page 4 then nodded off. Not that he could can remember much now.

"Mario?"

"Daisy is here bro."

"DAMMIT! You should have woken me earlier - I'm still in my nightshirt!

Mario and Daisy come into the room. Mario says "I'll leave you two alone - got to go out on a job now"

He sat up and wiped his face. Daisy comes in with an enormous smile.

"I've missed you SO MUCH. That refuge I was in until yesterday was an example of 1% terror 99% COMPLETE BOREDOM! I'm almost envious you slept through it."

Bless her, tact was never her strong point, he thought. But I'm not wanting to marry her for her tact.

She came up, sits on the bed and gives him a quick hug. She saw the volumes of the "Laws and Ordinances of Sarasaland" and her face twitches like ripples in a pond.

"WHAT THE HELL are THOSE doing here?! It is strictly forbidden to remove those from the reference library!" She exclaimed.

"Your father bought them here 2 days ago - didn't you know?"

"But the state of emergency was lifted only yesterday. My father THE HYPOCRITE!"

"Daisy!"

She has a strange look of anger and puzzlement but with a grin that keeps trying to break through.

"Luigi this is wonderful! My parents are in effect saying that they want you to marry me! Although my father would sooner stick his tongue in a waffle maker than admit it. He has not let my other suitors set eyes on these books. How far have you got?"

"Urrrh, I only got them two days ago. I got as far as the Preface on Page 4. But the index alone makes me nervous - I didn't know that there were so many things I would have to do as a Prince Consort"no

Luigi had got far enough to find out what his title woukd be. Kind of a relief that it would not be King.

"Well you have made a start at least- "

Luigi interjected nervously.

"I mean I flicked though and there are all these different things I have to do if we go to the other states such as Chai and Birabuto. Will I actually have to run around the palace gardens there within a time limit or get executed? Or go through the trials of the fire ants in Muda?"

"Luigi, you are overthinking this - there will be time enough for this - we are not getting married next week, we haven't had the official announcement of engagement! There's no need to-"

"But Daisy, I am not ready!" Panic rose in Luigi's voice

"Will I ever be ready? I...I'm a plumber from Brooklyn, not even a sparky 'cause I got scared once! I'm not someone who knows the correct way to address the tribal chieftains brother when meeting for the first time! Or the layers of etiquette at the Imperial Palace in Chai! I...I dunno If I can do this. Daisy! Please!"

"But sweetie-"

"I can barely dress myself, I can hardly walk and I need a stick!"

She takes my chin in her hand and says "Luigi, we have plenty of time -"

He froze, his eyes turning to pinpricks, this gesture being imilar to what someone else did either as a prelude to or after a backhand to the face, or pulling him up by the hair to taunt him yet again. He collapsed onto the bed and started to cry.

He tugged off the bandages on his arms. He sobbed.

"Can you love this?"

He pulled up his nightshirt to reveal the welts on his back

"And this?"

Daisy didn't say anything, she held him close, and let him sob into her shoulder. Then she gently took his hands and kissed them and the scars on his wrists. He kept on sobbing while she held him close.

"Oh Weege I love you!"

Luigi gasped. He blinked.

"Are you mad woman?! How can you love this?"

He pulled his cap off, revealing a stubbly strip on my crown a palm's width on which the pink scar from the Floro sprout and the two lines from the tear in his scalp were plainly visible.

"I don't care" Daisy said says, starting to cry herself.

"I always thought you were great. I know everyone says what a complete dork you are but I like it. You have always been yourself. You are a gentle man, which is more important than being a gentleman, even though you are one too"

"But I have no idea how long it is going to be before I can do the things I could!"

"Luigi, Nastasia told me about what happened with you and Dimentio. I am not going to do anything or have anything happen until you are ready. I had a lot of time with my parents and there was a lot of talking. My mother said a royal marriage is still a marriage, only that kingdoms become unhappy if the marriage is unhappy too. My father said that what he wants most for his daughter is a man whom she is happy in his company and isn't out for the prize the title of Regent"

"Regent?! I Hope not!" Luigi blurted out.

"You see, you have a grasp about how involved this is, but not a desire for power - those are good qualities"

Luigi hadn't thought that he might be expected to take on that level of resposibility. That filled him with as much dread as meeting King Richard. Luigi rubbed his face.

"Daisy, I'll have a shower and get dressed. Would you walk with me around the garden? This morning might have been garbage but we still have the afternoon"

"Of course. I would like that - it would be good to get out of here"

Luigi sat on the floor of the shower and let the tepid water cascade. He wasn't done with sobbing yet. So much to do, so overwhelming, that and that it hurt to stand for long. It was not the first time he had hidden in the shower to cry but the time for hiding must be over.


End file.
